Book description
They say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to
the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever
a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his
way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling
through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten
ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and
they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.
Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his
stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted
to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the
attempt. Even if it's his own.
Prince Calder isn't interested in honour, and still less in getting
himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any
trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have
to fight for it himself.
Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from
a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even
cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he
even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?
Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be
decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and
petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the
strongest arms that prevail.
Three men. One battle. No Heroes. The Heroes is an indictment of war
and the duplicity that corrupts men striving for total power: bloody and
violent, but never gratuitously so, it's imbued with cutting humour,
acute characterisation and world-weary wisdom about the weaknesses of
the human race. Brilliant.'
